All Songs Considered

10:03 am

Mon April 8, 2013

Special Delivery: The Postal Service Story

Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard discuss the unexpected success of The Postal Service.

Courtesy of the artist

The Postal Service was a band for a generation — the soundtrack to romance, tears and friendship. More than a million people bought its first album, 2003's Give Up, then waited anxiously for a follow-up that never arrived.

Now, a decade later, comes a new tour. Theaters, amphitheaters, sports arenas, auditoriums and pavilions all over the U.S. and U.K. are selling out shows featuring the duo of Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard.

In this video, put together by Sub Pop Records and directed by Tom Scharpling, Tamborello and Gibbard tell the story of a casual collaboration — assembled via the U.S. Mail — that's still touching hearts 10 years later.